Lawsuits against media in Georgia filed mainly by ruling party

Lawsuits against media in Georgia

According to the international organization Transparency International (TI), 28 lawsuits were filed against critical media in Georgia last year, mainly by the ruling Georgian Dream party.

In a statement, TI notes that this number of lawsuits against critical media in such a short period of time “indicates a well-coordinated trend” to restrict and intimidate media activities in Georgia.

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TI cites as an example a fine of 15,000 lari (about $5,500), which the court ordered journalist Maia Mamulashvili and TV Pirveli to pay. This decision by Tbilisi City Court is a transition to a new stage of pressure on the media in Georgia. The organization believes that government officials are using the court to persecute critical media outlets.

“The Georgian media environment, and especially its critical part, faces vital challenges. Along with physical abuse of journalists, illegal mass wiretapping and deliberate misinformation, the ruling party has recently been abusing the judiciary,” the statement reads.

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On November 30 a court ordered TV Pirveli and journalist Maia Mamulashvili to pay 15,000 lari to Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze. The mayor appealed to the city court a few months ago, demanding 100,000 lari (about $37,000) for moral damages. According to Kaladze, the journalist slandered him with information disseminated by Mamulashvili about allegedly corrupt deals by Kakha Kaladze in city bids.

“Since Kakha Kaladze did not like the question asked by Mamulashvili, the court ordered Mamulashvili and the TV channel where she works to pay 15,000 lari. TV Pirveli will not be able to pay this amount. Accordingly, the next step will be an appeal by Kaladze to have items worth this amount confiscated from the TV studio or from Mamulashvili’s residence,” Nodar Meladze, head of the channel, claims.

Kakha Kaladze’s lawyer Dmitry Gabunia considers the amount to be normal compensation.

Lawsuits against media in Georgia